


The Ruin Game

by DancingSpy (kennys_birthday)



Category: Charlie Bone Universe - Jenny Nimmo, Children of the Red King - Jenny Nimmo
Genre: Gen, Imported from FF.net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 21:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18169886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kennys_birthday/pseuds/DancingSpy
Summary: "You're not my dad, shut your face. I can do what I want." she grumbled, grabbing his hand and ignoring the pain in her own.





	The Ruin Game

Olivia is an idiot.

This is one thing that Fidelio is certain of, and is certain that will never change. She's wild, care-free, untameable.

Not that he's complaining of course. But when she does  _utterly idiotic_  things like this, he can't help but want to knock her on the head with something heavy, or wrap her in bubblewrap, or lock her in a cupboard to keep her out of trouble.

However, Olivia is a trouble-magnet, and no matter how hard he tries, there is no changing that fact.

* * *

"You're an utter madwoman." Fidelio sighed, gently pulling Olivia away from the rest of the group. He never was one for the snapping or the harsh pulling, and it's the first thing Olivia noticed about him. He was like a frightened mouse.

"I know I am. I dye my hair constantly, I wear heels so high my toes threaten to snap, I pretend to be other people on a daily basis, I wear make-up brighter than Blackpool illuminations. Is this the mark of a sane woman?" Olivia grinned, her tongue poking out between her teeth. Fidelio couldn't help but stare, transfixed.

"No, but this is different, Liv. This isn't fun and games! This the Ruin Game, and you want to play  _twice?_ "

"Why not? It'll be a laugh!"

"Liv, why is your vision of life such an illusion? One man's terror is your idea of a good night out, and their fears make you want to run headlong into danger. Asa's a  _werewolf_  in there, for crying out loud! He's out of control, he doesn't know what he's doing!"

Olivia bit her lip, her lipstick smudging a little. Fidelio frowned, but Olivia's mind was set.

"Aw, c'mon, live a little, Fido!"

* * *

As the clock struck ten, the sea of blue capes all lined up in front of the ruins, scrambling and squabbling for the lanterns. Manfred stood, as always, tall and imposing next to the table, his eyes boring into anyone who dared make eye contact.

Their heads ducked, and moving as a collective, no-one noticed the small girl walk past Dr Saltweather, who was taking a headcount of pupils entering the ruins. Her hair was a simple mousey-brown, and a pair of ratty trainers adorned her feet. She wore no make-up, and a blue cape was slung lazily around her shoulders.

Under the cover of the dark ruins, nobody recognised Olivia Vertigo.

She squeezed in between two fourth years, squinting in the darkness as a sharp gust of wind threatened to blow her lamp out. The ground was wet and slippery, and she wished she had worn footwear with a sturdier sole. Looking around, she saw goodness knows how many blue capes run past, but none with a familiar shock of curly, ginger hair.

Another gust of wind blew past, and she giggled, the chill seeping through the thin cape she had found in a box in the Drama cloakroom. Deciding to keep moving, even if it was just to keep warm, she held the lantern's pitiful candle light closer to her body, wondering why the hell Manfred couldn't have just given them torches. She always had spare batteries in case of emergencies.

She supposed that candles had more... mysterious effect, Manfred was a Drama student after all, and a Bloor, but she still didn't quite understand Manfred's way of thinking.

* * *

"I thought I told you not to do this!" Fidelio hissed, picking himself up off of the ground and dusting the dirt off of his knees, before offering a cut and bloodied hand towards Olivia. She hauled herself up, cursing as she cut her hand on the broken glass of the lantern.

"Damn glass. And when have I ever listened to you, Fido?" she sneered, wiping her mouth with the back of her free hand. With the lack of light came the inability to determine whether the sticky substance on her hand was blood, or the lipgloss she had yet to lick off.

"Maybe you should some time. I'm surprised you still have all your limbs!"

"To be quite honest, so am I."

The howl of a wolf in pain broke the sudden silence, and the two ran down the tunnel, hand in hand and slipping on the wet bricks.

* * *

Olivia was shocked that not a single Music student hadn't realised that she wasn't in their department. Maybe it was the lack of bright hair dye. Maybe she finally blended in.

Three times in the past hour Fidelio had wondered who was following him in the darkness, before suddenly remembering that it was Olivia.

"Poor bugger must be in so much pain..." Olivia mused, looking back over her shoulder and squinting in the darkness as her hands scrabbled to find the wall, an the howling got louder. Asa was getting closer.

"Yeah, doesn't stop him being hungry though." Fidelio told her, briefly letting go of the wall and flailing in the darkness for her hand. "Why do I let you out?"

"You're not my dad, shut your face. I can do what I want." she grumbled, grabbing his hand and ignoring the pain in her own. She stumbled yet again and went flying forward, Fidelio catching her clumsily.

"I am so glad you aren't wearing your stilettos."

* * *

"I take it back! I wish you were wearing your stilettos!" Fidelio cried, backing away as Asa struck again, finally knocking Fidelio to the ground. His shoulder burned as it connected with the solid ground.

Olivia leapt into action, tugging one of her trainers off and smacking Asa on the nose, hard. Like a scolded puppy, he let out a high pitch whine and staggered back, huge paws covering his nose. But a few seconds after he was snarling once more, and Olivia saw sense and decided to run. But Olivia being Olivia, ran towards Fidelio. And Asa followed.

He took another swipe at Fidelio, and Olivia flung herself over him, screwing her eyes shut and wincing as Asa's claws ripped at her back. Fidelio froze in fear, before mustering enough strength to ignore his protesting shoulder and roll over, so now he was in the way of the wolf boy's next attack. Olivia hauled Fidelio to his feet, screeching as the cape was torn from her neck, but the pair kept running, clutching each other's hands as if they were a lifeline, ignoring the fact that Fidelio could no longer feel his shoulder, or that Olivia only had one shoe.

* * *

The news spread like wildfire during the night and the next morning. Urgent whispers were passed in the corridors, before Manfred's loud barks of "Silence in Halls!" killed any noise that wasn't the hurried shuffle of footsteps.

_A girl went missing in the Ruins last night._

Dr Saltweather counted, double counted, and got other teachers to confirm this, and they all got the same conclusion.

One less child came out of the Ruins.

A scavenge of the decrepit building found nothing but shattered lanterns and a cape that was torn to pieces. No body was found anywhere.

It was the mystery that gripped Bloor's Academy for years to come.

Olivia and Fidelio, however, knew the truth. Olivia had exited a few minutes before Fidelio, crushed in between a group of girls who had ran so fast from the Ruins that it was as if Asa himself was hot on their heels. Dr Saltweather had miscounted, not seeing small Olivia in the middle.

Fidelio had ran out moments later, pulling Olivia into a bone-crushing hug, as she squealed out some gibberish about him still being alive, and how she had been worried all night.

Acting – no problem at all for Olivia.

"You stupid, idiotic madwoman!" he laughed, refusing to let go.

"And your problem is?" she giggled, sticking her tongue out at Fidelio as he shook his head helplessly.


End file.
